Keep your friends close and your enemies closer. Victor Martinez was once a friend of the Tribe, now he's their most feared enemy. Having played with the Indians for more that eight seasons from 2002-2009, Martinez led the offensive charge for the Tigers Friday night, as Detroit hung onto defeat Cleveland, 6-4. Join IBI Tribe beat reporter Jim Berdysz as he recaps a tough loss from the ballpark.

Omar Vizquel officially joins the Cleveland Indians Hall of Fame today! In this MLB News and Notes segment, the IBI's Andrew Zajac will be giving occasional reports on the latest news and rumors throughout the MLB. Today's piece focuses on Alex Rodriguez settling all of his legal matters, a top Cuban prospect defects from Cuba, the possibility of David Price being dealt, and more.

It's precisely games like this that make baseball the greatest sport of all time. Nick Swisher had about as bad a game as a hitter could have, let alone one being paid $15 million a year. In his four at-bats during regulation play, the Tribe first baseman struck out three times and incurred the wrath of many fans. A long drive to right field made everyone forget about those first four at-bats. The IBI's Jake Dungan recaps another dramatic Tribe victory.

The weekend is nearly upon us! In this MLB News and Notes segment, the IBI's Andrew Zajac will be giving occasional reports on the latest news and rumors throughout the MLB. Today's piece focuses on Gavin Floyd's broken elbow, the latest trade rumors involving the Rays, Rangers, and Padres, while also updating the latest draft picks to ink contracts.

All it takes is one hit. Trailing the Angels 3-1 in the bottom of the tenth inning, Nick Swisher got some sweet redemption. Hitless in the ballgame with three strikeouts, the switch-hitter came up big when it mattered most, connecting on a game winning walk-off grand slam to send the Tribe to a 5-3 victory. Join IBI Indians beat reporter Jim Berdysz as he recaps Cleveland's biggest win of the season.

We’re nearly halfway through the 2014 season and the Indians stand exactly at .500. That record is reflective of inconsistent play that has plagued various aspects of the team all season. As the middle of summer approaches, the evaluation period for the current roster should be closing and focus shifting to making the decisions necessary to improve the roster for the stretch run. The IBI's Michael Goodman takes a look at what areas the team should bolster as the trade deadline nears.

Could the Indians be looking to make a major splash via trade this summer? In this MLB News and Notes segment, the IBI's Andy Nichols will be giving occasional reports on the latest news and rumors throughout the MLB. Today's piece focuses on the swirling rumors surrounding Jeff Samardzija, a member of the Indians bullpen sent packing, and more.

The Cleveland Indians lost to the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim on Tuesday night by a score of 9-3. The game was close until a big fifth inning was capped by a three-run homer to right field by Mike Trout. Josh Tomlin didn’t quite have the required command to effectively hold the talented Angels’ lineup in check. The IBI's Charlie Adams provides his second thoughts on the game and questions the gameplan on how to pitch to Trout.

Former Indians star outfielder and current Red Sox outfielder Grady Sizemore has been designated for assignment and his Major League future is now in doubt. The IBI's Jamyson Frierson makes his site debut with a recap of all the major news from around baseball and notes the Indians signing of their top draft pick.

All good things must come to an end. For the Indians and their 10 game winning streak at Progressive Field, things came to a screeching halt Tuesday night. Exploding for nine runs on 15 hits, the L.A. Angels made quick work of the Tribe, sending them to a 9-3 loss to even up the four-game series. Join IBI Indians beat reporter Jim Berdysz as he recaps the action from the ballpark.

The Cleveland Indians today announced the signing of outfielder Bradley Zimmer to a minor league contract. Zimmer was the club’s first round (21st overall) selection in the 2014 MLB First-Year Player Draft.

The Indians started off the homestand right, with a 4-3 victory over Jered Weaver and the Angels. A game in which three of Cleveland home runs reached the plate via the long ball, it might be surprising that the highlight of Cleveland's day was its pitching. The IBI's John Grimm breaks down the oft-discussed Carlos Carrasco, and how the extreme nature of Carrasco's 2.1-inning shutout save demonstrated helps answer a pivotal question: why does Carrasco fare substantially better from the bullpen?

The muggy weather has returned to much of the country. Hopefully you're staying out of the heat! In this MLB News and Notes segment, the IBI's Andrew Zajac will be giving occasional reports on the latest news and rumors throughout the MLB. Today's piece focuses on the passing of one of the best hitters of all-time, Baltimore losing one of star players for the year, the possibility of the Red Sox having a fire sale, and more.

They say home is where the heart is. And it's safe to say home couldn't be any sweeter for the Tribe this year. Returning to Progressive Field for the first time since June 4, the Indians continued to showcase their winning ways at their home ballpark. After a back-and-forth battle through the first four innings, Cleveland hitters edged out the Angels, 4-3 to notch their third straight win, and marking their tenth consecutive home victory. Join IBI Tribe beat reporter Jim Berdysz as he recaps the win from the ballpark.

After losing four in a row, the Indians managed to salvage their road trip with two straight wins to put them back at the .500 mark and maintain their position in the standings. Nick Swisher was the hero on Sunday as he put the Tribe ahead in extra innings with a solo home run. It was Swisher's first RBI since returning from the DL and his first homer since going deep against the Athletics on May 16th. Join the IBI's Jake Dungan as he recaps the Tribe's fifth extra-inning victory of the season.

The Indians picked up an important win to split the series and get back to .500. In this MLB News and Notes segment, the IBI's Andy Nichols will be giving occasional reports on the latest news and rumors throughout the MLB. Today's piece focuses on Jeff Samardzija rumors, the next step for Zach McAllister, and more.

After a two-year drought, Cleveland secured a season series victory over Boston with a 3-2 victory over the Red Sox on Friday. Stemming from this narrow victory in which an RBI walk functioned as the winning run, the IBI's John Grimm breaks down the personnel dissonance, is unable to reap the rewards of his perfectly serviceable pitching style.

Cleveland fell to Boston 10-3 on Friday, in an affair that saw a fairly equal display of batters but was decided by the pitchers. While Boston right-hander John Lackey threw five strikeouts to one walk, Cleveland starter Justin Masterson lasted only two innings, walking four and striking out none. The IBI's John Grimm breaks down a possible source of Masterson's control problems on Friday and discusses the solid and altogether bizarre performance of Asdrubal Cabrera.

Indians outfielder Nyjer Morgan is working his way back from his left knee injury out in Arizona. In this MLB news and notes segment, the IBI's Tony Lastoria recaps all the news from the previous day and notes Morgan's rehab status, another Indians transaction and lots of other moves around MLB.

Available IBI Books

The 2014 Cleveland Indians Baseball Insider book featuring the Indians' Top 100 Prospects and more is now available. Also, previous editions from 2008-2012 are also available at a discounted rate. Just click on the book image for more information. Thanks again for all the support!